Sole Structure for Shoe and Shoe Including the Sole Structure

ABSTRACT

A sole structure includes a thin plate made of an elastic material having a higher elastic modulus than that of a midsole and stacked on a lower side of the midsole and a shock-absorbing body made of a soft-elastic material and abutting on a lower surface of the plate at least in a hindfoot area. The plate extends from a position corresponding to calcaneus of the foot of a shoe wearer at least to a position corresponding to first interphalangeal joint of the foot in a longitudinal direction, is interposed between the midsole and the shock-absorbing body in the hindfoot area, is interposed between the midsole and an outsole in a forefoot area, and is formed such that at least a portion of the plate serves as an exposed portion in which a lower surface is exposed above a grounding surface in a midfoot area.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-185064 filed on Sep. 28, 2018, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to a sole structure for a shoe and a shoe including the sole structure.

Conventionally, as a sole structure for a shoe, which is configured in consideration of reduction of burden on a foot of a shoe wear during exercise, for example, a sole structure of Japanese Patent No. 4886260 has been proposed.

In the sole structure described in Japanese Patent No. 4886260, a plurality of shock-absorbing modules each including a shock-absorbing element made of resin foam and an outer sole joined to a lower surface of the shock-absorbing element is provided under a base plate made of resin non-foam. In the above described sole structure, it is made possible by forming the base plate such that a predetermined hardness is ensured to hold a sole of a foot in a stable state, and also, it is enabled by providing the plurality of shock-absorbing modules under the base plate to ease a shock applied to the foot of a shoe wearer at the time of landing the ground.

SUMMARY

Incidentally, in recent years, there is a trend that a sole structure for a shoe is required to have a function of assisting a kicking operation of kicking a road surface in order to achieve high running speed and accelerating force when a sport athlete runs.

However, in the sole structure of Japanese Patent No. 4886260, it has been devised to ensure stability of the sole of the foot of the shoe wearer and shock-absorbing performance at the time of landing the ground, but adding a function of assisting the kicking operation of the shoe wearer has not been taken into consideration at all.

In view of the foregoing, the present disclosure has been devised and it is therefore an object of the present disclosure to provide a sole structure for a shoe, which has stability of a sole of a foot and shock-absorbing performance at the time of landing the ground and has a function of assisting a kicking operation, and a shoe including the sole structure.

In order to achieve the above described object, a first aspect of the present disclosure is a sole structure for a shoe, which includes a midsole which is made of a soft-elastic material and an upper surface of which serves as a foot sole support surface that supports a sole of a foot of a shoe wearer and an outsole which is made of an elastic material having a higher hardness than that of the midsole and a lower surface of which serves as a grounding surface, the sole structure includes a thin plate made of an elastic material having a higher elastic modulus than that of the midsole and stacked on a lower side of the midsole over the outsole and a shock-absorbing body made of a soft-elastic material and stacked on an upper side of the outsole so as to abut on a lower surface of the plate at least in a hindfoot area of the shoe, and the plate extends from a position corresponding to calcaneus of the foot of the shoe wearer at least to a position corresponding to first interphalangeal joint of the foot, is interposed between the midsole and the shock-absorbing body in the hindfoot area of the shoe, is interposed between the midsole and the outsole in a forefoot area of the shoe, and is formed such that at least a portion of the plate serves as an exposed portion in which a lower surface of the plate is exposed in a position above the grounding surface in a midfoot area of the shoe.

In the sole structure of the first aspect, the thin plate that is made of an elastic material having a higher elastic modulus than that of the midsole and extends long in a longitudinal direction so as to correspond to the sole of the foot of the shoe wearer is provided between the midsole and the outsole. The above described plate is provided, and thereby, the sole of the foot of the shoe wearer can be stably supported.

In the sole structure of the first aspect, the shock-absorbing body made of a soft-elastic material and formed so as to abut on the lower surface of the plate at least in the hindfoot area is provided between the midsole and the outsole. Therefore, a load that acts on the road surface due to deformation of the shock-absorbing body made of a soft-elastic material at the time of landing the ground is reduced and a load that acts as a reaction thereof on the sole of the foot of the shoe wearer from the road surface via the sole structure is also reduced. Also, the above described shock-absorbing body is provided so as to abut on the lower surface of the plate that extends long in the longitudinal direction, and thereby, a load that acts on the sole of the foot of the shoe wearer via the sole structure due to a reaction from the road surface at the time of landing the ground is dispersed by the plate. Therefore, the loads do not concentrate in a specific portion. That is, the above described configuration allows ease of a shock applied to the foot of the shoe wearer at the time of landing the ground.

Furthermore, in the sole structure of the first embodiment, the thin plate made of an elastic material having a higher elastic modulus than that of the midsole forwardly extends long from the position corresponding to the calcaneus of the foot of the shoe wearer at least to the position corresponding to the first interphalangeal joint of the foot. Also, in the sole structure, as described above, the plate that forwardly extends long is provided over the shock-absorbing body away from the road surface in the hindfoot area and is provided directly on the outsole close to the road surface in the forefoot area, and, in the midfoot area at least a portion of the plate serves as the exposed portion in which the lower surface of the plate is exposed in a position above the grounding surface. That is, in the above described sole structure, the plate forwardly extends long, and moreover, in the midfoot area, at least a portion of the plate is formed to serve as the exposed portion in which the lower surface of the plate is exposed, thereby achieving a configuration in which a certain amount of downward bending is allowed and, in the forefoot area, a portion of the plate which is distant from a curvature center and in which a large tension acts is arranged directly on the outsole when the sole structure is downwardly bent, so that downward bending hardly occurs. With the above described configuration, when the shoe wearer performs a kicking operation of kicking the road surface, the plate is not locally bent in a position corresponding to metatarsophalangeal joints (MP joints) in accordance with bending of the metatarsophalangeal joints but, after landing the ground, the entire plate is largely bent in accordance with weight shift of the shoe wearer until a kicking operation. As described above, the plate is largely bent, so that a restoring force due to elastic deformation of the plate is increased and a force of kicking the road surface of the shoe wearer is increased by the large restoring force. That is, the shoe wearer can strongly kick the road surface during running, and therefore, high running speed and accelerating force can be achieved.

As described above, according to the first aspect, the sole structure that has stability of the sole of the foot and shock-absorbing performance at the time of landing the ground and also has a function of assisting a kicking operation can be provided.

According to a second aspect, in the first aspect, in the plate, at least one protruding portion that protrudes or is raised upwardly from an upper surface or downwardly from the lower surface is formed at least in the midfoot area of the shoe.

Incidentally, normally, the midfoot area of the sole structure has a smaller width than those of the forefoot area and the hindfoot area in accordance with a shape of a foot of a person and has a low bending rigidity.

Therefore, in the sole structure of the second aspect, at least one protruding portion is formed at least in a portion of the plate located in the midfoot area, thereby increasing bending rigidity of the portion of the plate located in the midfoot area. With the above described configuration, local bending of the plate in the midfoot can be reduced.

According to a third aspect, in the second aspect, the at least one protruding portion is formed in the exposed portion of the plate.

In the sole structure of the third aspect, at least one protruding portion is formed in the exposed portion of the plate configured to be easily downwardly bent, thereby increasing bending rigidity of the exposed portion. With the above described configuration, excessive deformation in the exposed portion of the plate can be reduced.

According to a fourth aspect, in the second aspect, the protruding portion is a linear protruding portion that extends in a longitudinal direction.

In the sole structure of the fourth aspect, the protruding portion provided to increase the bending rigidity of the plate is formed of a linear protruding portion that extends in the longitudinal direction. With the above described configuration, the bending rigidity of the plate can be further increased.

According to a fifth aspect, in the first aspect, the shock-absorbing body is formed so as to extend from the hindfoot area to the midfoot area of the shoe, and an opening that passes through in a vertical direction is formed in the shock-absorbing body and the exposed portion of the plate is formed by the opening.

Incidentally, a heel strike style in which a hindfoot (a heel portion) lands first is common but, among high speed runners, some runners run in a midfoot strike style in which a lateral side portion of a midfoot lands first.

In the sole structure of the fifth aspect, the shock-absorbing body that eases a shock applied to the foot of the shoe wearer at the time of landing the ground is formed so as to extend from the hindfoot area to the midfoot area. With the above described configuration, even in a case in which the hindfoot lands first or in a case in which the midfoot lands first, a shock applied to the foot of the shoe wearer at the time of landing the ground can be eased.

When the shock-absorbing body is formed not only in the hindfoot area but also in the midfoot area, a weight of the sole structure is increased and there is a probability that runability is inhibited. However, in the sole structure of the fifth aspect, the opening is formed in the shock-absorbing body, thereby achieving reduction in weight of the sole structure. Also, the above described opening is formed, so that the shock-absorbing body is easily deformed at the time of landing the ground. That is, cushioning property of the shock-absorbing body is increased. Accordingly, with the above described sole structure, increase in weight can be reduced and a shock applied to the foot of the shoe wearer at the time of landing the ground can be further eased.

According to a sixth aspect, in the first aspect, the shock-absorbing body is provided only in the hindfoot area.

In the sole structure of the sixth aspect, the shock-absorbing body that eases a shock applied to the foot of the shoe wearer at the time of landing the ground is formed only in the hindfoot area. That is, in the above described sole structure, the shock-absorbing body that inhibits downward bending is not provided in the midfoot area. Accordingly, with the sole structure, the plate is more easily bent in the midfoot area and the force of kicking the road surface of the shoe wearer during running is further increased.

According to a seventh aspect, in the sixth aspect, an opening that passes through in a vertical direction is formed in a central portion of the shock-absorbing body in a foot width direction.

In the sole structure of the seventh aspect, the opening is formed in the central portion of the shock-absorbing body provided in the hindfoot area of the shoe in the foot width direction. The weight of the sole structure can be reduced by forming the above described opening in the shock-absorbing body. Also, the shock-absorbing body is caused to be easily deformed at the time of landing the ground by forming the above described opening in the shock-absorbing body. That is, the cushioning property of the shock-absorbing body is increased. Accordingly, with the above described sole structure, a shock applied to the foot of the shoe wearer at the time of landing the ground can be eased while weight reduction is achieved.

An eighth aspect is a shoe including the sole structure for a shoe of the first aspect.

According to the eighth aspect, a shoe that has similar working effects to those of the first aspect can be achieved.

As described above, according to the present disclosure, the sole structure that has stability of the sole of the foot and shock-absorbing performance at the time of landing the ground and also has a function of assisting a kicking operation and a shoe including the sole structure can be provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a shoe including a sole structure for a shoe according to a first embodiment when viewed from a lateral side.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the sole structure of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line V-V of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI of FIG. 2

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VII-VII of FIG. 2

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of a midsole.

FIG. 9 is a bottom view illustrating a state in which the midsole and a plate are stacked.

FIG. 10 is a bottom view illustrating a state in which the midsole, the plate, and a shock-absorbing body are stacked.

FIG. 11 is a plan view of the plate virtually illustrating a skeleton structure of a foot of a shoe wearer and an outer shape of the sole structure.

FIG. 12 is a bottom view of a sole structure for a shoe according to a modified example of the first embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a side view of a shoe including a sole structure for a shoe according to a second embodiment when viewed from a lateral side.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the sole structure of FIG. 13 when viewed from top.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the sole structure of FIG. 13 when viewed from bottom.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The following description of the embodiments are mere examples by nature, and are not intended to limit the scope, application, or uses of the present disclosure.

First Embodiment

FIG. 1 illustrates a shoe S, which includes a sole structure 1, according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. Note that the present disclosure is applicable to sports shoes worn by a runner or a sport athlete of various sports. Shoes for running will be described herein.

The shoes include the left foot shoe S illustrated in FIG. 1 and a right foot shoe (not illustrated) having a symmetrical shape to the left foot shoe. In the following description, only the left foot shoe S of the shoes and the sole structure 1 thereof will be described and description of the right foot shoe of the shoes and the sole structure 1 thereof will be omitted.

Also, in the following description, the expressions “over, above (upper side)” and “under, below (lower side)” represent the vertical positional relationship in the shoes and the sole structure 1. The expressions “front (front side)” and “rear (rear side)” represent the positional relationship in the shoe S and the sole structure 1 in a foot length direction. The expressions “medial side” and “lateral side” represent the positional relationship in the shoe S and the sole structure 1 in a foot width direction.

Furthermore, in FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 11, a forefoot area of the shoe S, which corresponds to a forefoot (a portion including proximal phalanges, middle phalanges, and distal phalanges) of the foot of the shoe wearer, is denoted by the reference character F, a midfoot area of the shoe S, which corresponds to a midfoot (a portion including a cuboid, a navicular, cuneiform bones, and metatarsal bones) of the foot of the shoe wearer, is denoted by the reference character M, and a hindfoot area of the shoe S, which corresponds to a hindfoot (a portion including a calcaneus and a talus) of the foot of the shoe wearer, is denoted by the reference character H.

The shoe S include the sole structure 1 and an upper (an upper portion) 2 arranged on the sole structure 1. Note that, in FIG. 1, only an outline shape of the upper 2 is illustrated. The upper 2 may have any configuration as long as the upper 2 can cover an instep of the foot of the shoe wearer.

<Sole Structure>

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 11, the sole structure 1 includes a midsole 10, a plate 20, a shock-absorbing body 30, and an outsole 40. The midsole 10, the plate 20, the shock-absorbing body 30, and the outsole 40 are stacked in this order from an upper side to a lower side. Note that, in FIG. 2, FIG. 9, and FIG. 10, hatching with dots is provided in order to illustrate the plate 20 with emphasis thereon.

[Midsole]

As illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the midsole 10 is formed so as to extend from a front edge portion to a rear edge portion of the sole structure 1. The upper 2 is fixed to an upper surface of the midsole 10.

The midsole 10 is made of a soft-elastic material having a lower hardness than that of the outsole 40, which will be described later. Specifically, as a material of the midsole 10, for example, thermoplastic synthetic resin, such as ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) or the like, foam thereof, thermosetting resin, such as polyurethane (PU) or the like, foam thereof, a rubber material, such as butadiene rubber, chloroprene rubber, or the like, foam thereof, or the like is suitable. The hardness of the midsole 10 is preferably set to, for example, 40 C to 60 C (specifically, 55 C) in the Asker C hardness scale.

An upper surface of the midsole 10 is formed in a curved shape along a sole surface of the foot of the shoe wearer and serves as a foot sole support surface 11 that supports the sole surface of the foot of the shoe wearer via an insole (not illustrated).

FIG. 8 is a view of the midsole 10 when viewed from bottom. As illustrated in FIG. 8, a housing recessed portion 12 in which the plate 20 is housed, which will be described later, is formed in a lower surface of the midsole 10. The housing recessed portion 12 is formed so as to be located in a position corresponding to the plate 20 and have a size corresponding to the plate 20 in the lower surface of the midsole 10. The housing recessed portion 12 is formed by upwardly recessing a portion of the lower surface of the midsole 10.

In the first embodiment, the housing recessed portion 12 is formed of a front side recessed portion 12 a in a front side and a rear side recessed portion 12 b in a rear side in the longitudinal direction. The front side recessed portion 12 a is formed so as to extend from a forefoot area F to a midfoot area M of the shoe S and the rear side recessed portion 12 b is formed so as to extend from the midfoot area M to a hindfoot area H of the shoe S. The rear side recessed portion 12 b has a larger depth than a depth of the front side recessed portion 12 a and a step portion 12 c is formed between the front side recessed portion 12 a and the rear side recessed portion 12 b. The step portion 12 c is formed in the lower surface of the midsole 10 so as to extend in the foot width direction and become closer to a rear end in the longitudinal direction from the medial side toward the lateral side.

In the lower surface of the midsole 10, an outer edge portion 13 that surrounds the housing recessed portion 12 is formed of a front side outer edge portion 13 a in the front side and a rear side edge portion 13 b in the rear side in the longitudinal direction. The front side outer edge portion 13 a surrounds the front side recessed portion 12 a and the rear side edge portion 13 b surrounds the rear side recessed portion 12 b. A lower surface of the rear side edge portion 13 b is located above a lower surface of the front side outer edge portion 13 a and a step portion 13 c that extends so as to correspond to the step portion 12 c between the front side recessed portion 12 a and the rear side recessed portion 12 b is formed between the front side outer edge portion 13 a and the rear side edge portion 13 b. A portion of the step portion 13 c, which is located in the medial side, is formed slightly behind an edge portion of the step portion 12 c of the housing recessed portion 12, which is located in the medial side, in the longitudinal direction. A portion of the step portion 13 c, which is located in the lateral side, is formed slightly behind an edge portion of the step portion 12 c of the housing recessed portion 12, which is located in the lateral side, in the longitudinal direction.

[Plate]

As illustrated in FIG. 1, FIG. 3, and FIG. 11, the plate 20 is formed so as to extend from the forefoot area F to the hindfoot area H of the shoe S in the longitudinal direction. Also, as illustrated in FIG. 4 to FIG. 7 and FIG. 9, the plate 20 is formed so as to extend from a medial side edge portion to a lateral side edge portion of the midsole 10 in the foot width direction. As illustrated in FIG. 9, the plate 20 is formed so as to have an outer shape corresponding to an outer shape of the midsole 10 and a width of the plate 20 is the largest in the forefoot area F of the shoe S and is the smallest in the midfoot area M of the shoe S. The plate 20 is made of a hard-elastic material having higher elastic modulus than elastic modulus of the midsole 10 and is formed so as to have a thin plate-like shape. Specifically, as a material of the plate 20, for example, thermoplastic synthetic resin, such as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyamide elastomer (PAE), polyamide, or the like, and a synthetic resin obtained by adding a fiber material, such as glass fiber, carbon fiber, or the like, to the above described resin is suitable. Also, the plate 20 is an injection molded article obtained by injection-molding the above described thermoplastic resin material (including a thermoplastic resin material to which the fiber material has been added). Bending elastic modulus of the plate 20 is preferably set to, for example, 100 MPa to 300 MPa (specifically 390 MPa).

Note that the plate 20 may be a hot press molded article obtained by hot-pressing a thermosetting fiber reinforced plastic material and may be a hot press molded article obtained by hot-pressing a thermoplastic fiber reinforced plastic material or a resin sheet material.

As illustrated in FIG. 9, the plate 20 is formed of a front side plate 21 in the front side and a rear side plate 22 in the rear side in the longitudinal direction. The front side plate 21 is formed so as to extend from the forefoot area F to the midfoot area M of the shoe S and the rear side plate 22 is formed so as to extend from the midfoot area M to the hindfoot area H of the shoe S. The front side plate 21 is housed in the front side recessed portion 12 a of the housing recessed portion 12 of the midsole 10 and the rear side plate 22 is housed in the rear side recessed portion 12 b of the housing recessed portion 12 of the midsole 10.

The front side plate 21 and the rear side plate 22 are integrally formed such that a front edge portion of the rear side plate 22 is located over a rear edge portion of the front side plate 21 so as to overlap the rear edge portion. With the above described configuration, a step portion 23 is formed between the front side plate 21 and the rear side plate 22. The step portion 23 is formed so as to extend from a medial side edge to a lateral side edge in the foot width direction in the plate 20 and become closer to the rear end in the longitudinal direction from the medial side toward the lateral side.

The front side plate 21 is formed so as to have a holeless thin plate-like shape that is thinner than a thickness of the outsole 40, which will be described later, and is formed so as to have a downwardly convex curved shape in which a front edge portion of the front side plate 21 is located above a rear edge portion thereof. On the other hand, similar to the front side plate 21, the rear side plate 22 is formed so as to have a holeless thin plate-like shape and is formed so as to have an upwardly convex curved shape in which a rear portion of the rear side plate 22 is located above a front portion thereof. The plate 20 is formed so as to have a substantially S shape, as illustrated in FIG. 3, by the front side plate 21 and the rear side plate 22 that are curved in the above described matter

Also, as illustrated in FIG. 9, a portion of the rear side plate 22 is formed so as to serve as a reinforced portion 24 having an increased hardness. The reinforced portion 24 is formed so as to extend long in the longitudinal direction from the midfoot area M to the hindfoot area H of the shoe S. In this embodiment, the reinforced portion 24 includes a plurality of protrusions 25 a (protruding portions 25) and a plurality of raised portions 25 b (protruding portions 25).

Each of the protrusions 25 a is formed so as to downwardly protrude from a lower surface of the rear side plate 22. The plurality of protrusions 25 a includes an annular protrusion 25 a formed to have an annular shape and a plurality of linear protrusions (linear protruding portions) each of which linearly extends in the longitudinal direction.

The annular protrusion 25 a is formed so as to extend from the midfoot area M to the hindfoot area H of the shoe S in a central portion of the rear side plate 22 in the foot width direction. The annular protrusion 25 a is formed in a crescent shape bulging toward the lateral side from the front side toward the rear side in the longitudinal direction.

The plurality of linear protrusions 25 a is formed inside the annular protrusion 25 a. The plurality of linear protrusions 25 a includes a plurality of curved protrusions 25 a which extend from the front side to the rear side in the longitudinal direction in a curved form bulging toward the lateral side and a plurality of straight protrusions 25 a which linearly extend so as to become closer to the medial side edge in the foot width direction from the front side toward the rear side in the longitudinal direction. The plurality of curved protrusions 25 a and the plurality of straight protrusions 25 a are formed so as to intersect each other in a lattice shape.

Each of the raised portions 25 b is formed by raising a portion thereof surrounded by the plurality of linear protrusions 25 a upwardly from an upper surface of the rear side plate 22.

As described above, the plate 20 is formed such that the hardness is increased in the reinforced portion 24 by the plurality of protrusions 25 a (the protruding portions 25) that downwardly protrude from the lower surface of the rear side plate 22 and the plurality of raised portions 25 b (the protruding portions 25) that are upwardly raised from the upper surface of the rear side plate 22.

[Shock-absorbing Body]

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the shock-absorbing body 30 is formed so as to extend from the midfoot area M to the hindfoot area H of the shoe S in the longitudinal direction. Specifically, the shock-absorbing body 30 extends from positions of the step portion 13 c of the outer edge portion 13 of the midsole 10 and the step portion 23 of the plate 20 to a position behind a rear edge of the midsole 10 in the longitudinal direction. Also, as illustrated in FIG. 5 to FIG. 7 and FIG. 10, the shock-absorbing body 30 is formed so as to extend from the medial side edge portion to the lateral side edge portion of the midsole 10 in the foot width direction.

The shock-absorbing body 30 is made of a soft-elastic material and is configured to be able to absorb a shock in a vertical direction with elastic strains. Specifically, as a material of the shock-absorbing body 30, for example, foam of thermoplastic synthetic resin, such as ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) or the like, thermosetting resin, such as polyurethane (PU) or the like, foam thereof, a rubber material, such as butadiene rubber, chloroprene rubber, or the like, or form thereof, or the like is suitable. A hardness of the shock-absorbing body 30 is preferably set to, for example, 50 C in the Asker C hardness scale. The shock-absorbing body 30 is made of the above described soft-elastic material, and thus, the shock-absorbing body 30 can ease a shock in the vertical direction in particular on a heel portion (a calcaneus HL illustrated in FIG. 3) of the foot of the shoe wearer at the time of landing the ground.

As illustrated in FIG. 5 to FIG. 7, the shock-absorbing body 30 is formed such that a thickness (a thickness in the vertical direction) of an outer edge portion thereof increases from the front side toward the rear side in the longitudinal direction. Also, as illustrated in FIG. 3 and FIG. 10, the shock-absorbing body 30 is provided such that a front edge of the shock-absorbing body 30 abuts on the step portion 13 c of the outer edge portion 13 of the midsole 10 and the step portion 23 of the plate 20 and an outer edge portion of the shock-absorbing body 30 having a large thickness in a rear edge portion wraps the rear end portion of the midsole 10. The shock-absorbing body 30 is jointed to the midsole 10 and the plate 20 with an adhesive or the like in a state in which an upper surface of the shock-absorbing body 30 abuts on the rear side edge portion 13 b on the lower surface of the midsole 10 and the lower surface of the rear side plate 22 of the plate 20 housed in the rear side recessed portion 12 b.

As illustrated in FIG. 10, an opening 31 is formed in the shock-absorbing body 30. The opening 31 extends from the midfoot area M to the hindfoot area H of the shoe S in a central portion of the shock-absorbing body 30 in the foot width direction. In the first embodiment, the opening 31 is formed so as to have a crescent shape bulging toward the lateral side from the front side to the rear side in the longitudinal direction. With the opening 31, the plate 20 is configured such that, in the midfoot area M of the shoe S, at least a portion of the plate 20 serves as an exposed portion in which a lower surface of the plate 20 is exposed in a position above a grounding surface of the outsole 40, which will be described later. Note that, in the first embodiment, with the opening 31 that extends from the midfoot area M to the hindfoot area H of the shoe S, the exposed portion of the plate 20 also extends from the midfoot area M to the hindfoot area H of the shoe S.

Also, in the first embodiment, the opening 31 is formed in a position corresponding to the reinforced portion 24 of the plate 20. That is, in the first embodiment, the reinforced portion 24 of the plate 20 is formed so as to serve as the exposed portion of the plate 20 in which the lower surface is exposed in a position above the grounding surface of the outsole 40, which will be described later.

Also, a housing recessed portion 32 in which the outsole 40 is housed is formed in the lower surface of the shock-absorbing body 30. As for the housing recessed portion 32, one housing recessed portion 32 is formed in the midfoot area M of the shoe S and two housing recessed portions 32 are formed in the hindfoot area H of the shoe S in the lower surface of the shock-absorbing body 30.

[Outsole]

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the outsole 40 is formed of thee portions 41 to 43. A first portion 41 is provided so as to extend from the forefoot area F to the midfoot area M of the shoe S. A second portion 42 and a third portion 43 are provided in the hindfoot area H of the shoe S. The first portion 41 is provided such that an upper surface of the first portion 41 abuts on the lower surface of the midsole 10, a lower surface of the front side plate 21 of the plate 20, and a bottom surface of the housing recessed portion 32 of the shock-absorbing body 30. The second portion 42 and the third portion 43 are provided such that each of upper surfaces of the second portion 42 and the third portion 43 abuts on the bottom surface of the housing recessed portion 32 of the shock-absorbing body 30.

The outsole 40 is made of a hard-elastic material having a higher hardness than that of the midsole 10. Specifically, as a material of the outsole 40, for example, thermoplastic resin, such as ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) or the like, thermosetting resin, such as polyurethane (PU) or the like, or a rubber material, such as butadiene rubber, chloroprene rubber, or the like is suitable. The hardness of the outsole 40 is preferably set to, for example, 40 A to 90 A (more specifically, 60 A to 70 A) in the Shore A scale.

As described above, a lower surface of the outsole 40 made of a hard-elastic material having a higher hardness than that of the midsole 10 serves as a ground surface that grounds a road surface during walking or during running.

—Detailed Arrangement Configuration—

As described above, the sole structure 1 is configured such that the midsole 10, the plate 20, the shock-absorbing body 30, and the outsole 40 are stacked in this order from top to bottom.

Also, in the sole structure 1, as illustrated in FIG. 3 and FIG. 11, the plate 20 formed to have a substantially S shape is formed so as to extend from a position corresponding to the calcaneus HL of the foot of the shoe wearer at least to a position corresponding to a first interphalangeal joint J1 in the longitudinal direction.

The term “the position corresponding to the first interphalangeal joint J1” as used herein includes a neighboring position behind the first interphalangeal joint J1.

Note that, in the first embodiment, the plate 20 is provided such that a front edge of the plate 20 is located near a position corresponding to a tip portion of a first toe of the foot of the shoe wearer.

As illustrated in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the plate 20 formed so as to extend long in the longitudinal direction in the above described manner and to have a substantially S shape is interposed between the lower surface of the midsole 10 and the upper surface of the outsole 40 (the first portion 41) in the forefoot area F of the shoe S.

On the other hand, as illustrated in FIG. 3, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7, the plate 20 is interposed between the lower surface of the midsole 10 and the upper surface of the shock-absorbing body 30 in the hindfoot area H of the shoe S.

Furthermore, as illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 5, in the midfoot area M of the shoe S, at least a portion of the plate 20 is formed so as to serve as an exposed portion in which the lower surface is exposed in a position above the grounding surface. The shock-absorbing body 30 is not stacked on the lower side of the exposed portion of the plate 20 and the exposed portion of the plate 20 floats from the road surface and is easily downwardly bent, as compared to a portion of the plate 20 in which the shock-absorbing body 30 is stacked on a lower side of the portion. Also, in the first embodiment, as described above, with the opening 31 formed in the shock-absorbing body 30 so as to have a crescent shape, the exposed portion which has a crescent shape and in which the lower surface is exposed above the grounding surface is formed in the plate 20.

Also, in the sole structure 1 of the first embodiment, the plate 20 is formed such that the reinforced portion 24 including the plurality of protrusions 25 a (the protruding portions 25) and the plurality of raised portions 25 b (the protruding portions 25) extends from the midfoot area M to the hindfoot area H of the shoe S. With the reinforced portion 24 described above, in the sole structure 1, at least one protruding portion 25 that protrudes or is raised upwardly from the upper surface or downwardly from the lower surface is formed in the midfoot area M of the shoe S in the plate 20.

Furthermore, in the sole structure 1 of the first embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 2, FIG. 5 to FIG. 7, and FIG. 10, in the shock-absorbing body 30, the opening 31 is formed in the position corresponding to the reinforced portion 24 of the plate 20. Therefore, in the sole structure 1, the reinforced portion 24 the hardness of which is increased in the plate 20 serves as the exposed portion of the plate 20 in which the lower surface is exposed above the grounding surface. As described above, the reinforced portion 24 includes the plurality of protruding portions 25, and therefore, the sole structure 1 has a configuration in which at least one protruding portion 25 is formed in the exposed portion of the plate 20.

—Advantageous Effects of First Embodiment—

As described above, with the sole structure 1 of the first embodiment, the plate 20 which is made of an elastic material having a higher elastic modulus than that of the midsole 10, extends long in the longitudinal direction so as to correspond to the sole of the foot of the shoe wearer, and has a thin plate-like shape is provided between the midsole 10 and the outsole 40. The above described plate 20 is provided, thus allowing stable support of the sole of the foot of the shoe wearer.

Also, in the sole structure 1 of the first embodiment, the shock-absorbing body 30 made of a soft-elastic material and formed so as to abut on the lower surface of the plate 20 at least in the hindfoot area H is provided between the midsole 10 and the outsole 40. Therefore, a load that acts on the road surface due to deformation of the shock-absorbing body 30 made of a soft-elastic material at the time of landing the ground is reduced and a load that acts as a reaction thereof on the sole of the foot of the shoe wearer from the road surface via the sole structure 1 is also reduced. Also, the above described shock-absorbing body 30 is provided so as to abut on the lower surface of the plate 20 that extends long in the longitudinal direction, and thereby, a load that acts on the sole of the foot of the shoe wearer via the sole structure 1 due to a reaction from the road surface at the time of landing the ground is dispersed by the plate 20. Therefore, concentration of a load in a specific portion is not caused. That is, the above described structure allows ease of a shock applied to the foot of the shoe wearer at the time of landing the ground.

Furthermore, in the sole structure 1 of the first embodiment, the plate 20 which is made of an elastic material having a higher elastic modulus than that of the midsole 10 and has a thin plate-like shape forwardly extends long from the position corresponding to the calcaneus HL of the foot of the shoe wearer at least to the position corresponding to the first interphalangeal joint J1. Also, in the sole structure 1, the plate 20 that forwardly extends long is provided on the shock-absorbing body 30 away from the road surface in the hindfoot area H and is provided directly on the outsole 40 close to the road surface in the forefoot area F, and at least a portion of the plate 20 serves as the exposed portion in which the lower surface is exposed in a position above the grounding surface in the midfoot area M. That is, in the above described sole structure 1, the plate 20 forwardly extends long, and moreover, in the midfoot area M, at least a portion of the plate 20 serves as the exposed portion in which the lower surface is exposed, thereby achieving a configuration in which a certain amount of downward bending is allowed and, in the forefoot area F, a portion of the plate 20 which is distant from a curvature center and in which a large tension acts is arranged directly on the outsole 40 when the sole structure 1 is downwardly bent, so that that downward bending hardly occurs. With the above described configuration, when the shoe wearer performs a kicking operation of kicking the road surface, the plate 20 is not locally bent in a position corresponding to metatarsophalangeal joints MP in accordance with bending of the metatarsophalangeal joints MP but, after landing the ground, the entire plate 20 is largely bent in accordance with a weight shift of the shoe wearer until a kicking operation. As described above, the plate 20 is largely bent, so that a restoring force due to elastic deformation of the plate 20 is increased and the force of kicking the road surface of the shoe wearer is increased by the large restoring force. That is, the shoe wearer can strongly kick the road surface during running, and therefore, high running speed and accelerating force can be achieved.

As described above, with the sole structure 1 of the first embodiment, the sole structure 1 that has stability of the sole of the foot and shock-absorbing performance at the time of landing the ground and also has a function of assisting a kicking operation can be provided.

Incidentally, normally, the midfoot area M of the sole structure 1 has a smaller width than those of the forefoot area F and the hindfoot area H in accordance with a shape of a foot of a person and has low bending rigidity.

Therefore, in the sole structure 1 of the first embodiment, at least one protruding portion 25 that protrudes or is raised upwardly from the upper surface or downwardly from the lower surface is formed at least in a portion of the plate 20 located in the midfoot area M, thereby increasing the bending rigidity of the portion of the plate 20 located in the midfoot area M. With the above described configuration, local bending of the plate 20 in the midfoot area M can be reduced.

Also, in the sole structure 1 of the first embodiment, at least one protruding portion 25 is formed in the exposed portion of the plate 20 configured to be easily downwardly bent, thereby increasing bending rigidity of the exposed portion. With the above described configuration, excessive deformation in the exposed portion of the plate 20 can be reduced.

Also, in the sole structure 1 of the first embodiment, the protruding portion 25 provided to increase the bending rigidity of the plate 20 is formed of a linear protruding portion that extends in the longitudinal direction. With the above described configuration, the bending rigidity of the plate 20 can be further increased.

Incidentally, as a running style, a heel strike style in which a hindfoot (a heel portion) lands first is common but, among high speed runners, some runners run in a midfoot strike style in which a lateral side portion of a midfoot lands first.

Therefore, in the sole structure 1 of the first embodiment, the shock-absorbing body 30 that eases a shock applied to the foot of the shoe wearer at the time of landing the ground is formed so as to extend from the hindfoot area H to the midfoot area M. With the above described configuration, even in a case in which the hindfoot lands first or in a case in which the midfoot lands first, a shock applied to the foot of the shoe wearer at the time of landing the ground can be eased.

When the shock-absorbing body 30 is provided not only in the hindfoot area H but also in the midfoot area M, a weight of the sole structure 1 is increased and there is a probability that runability is inhibited. However, in the sole structure 1 of the first embodiment, the opening 31 is formed in the shock-absorbing body 30, thereby achieving reduction in weight of the sole structure 1. Also, the above described opening 31 is formed, so that the shock-absorbing body 30 is easily deformed at the time of landing the ground. That is, cushioning property of the shock-absorbing body 30 is increased. Accordingly, with the above described sole structure 1, a shock applied to a foot of a shoe wearer can be further eased at the time of landing the ground while increase in weight is reduced.

Also, in the shoe S including the sole structure 1 of the first embodiment, similar working effects to the above described working effects can be achieved.

—Modified Example of First Embodiment—

FIG. 12 illustrates a bottom surface of the sole structure 1 according to a modified example of the first embodiment of the present disclosure. The sole structure 1 according to the modified example is obtained by changing shapes of the opening 31 of the shock-absorbing body 30 and the reinforced portion 24 of the plate 20 in the sole structure 1 of the first embodiment.

Specifically, in the modified example of the first embodiment, the opening 31 of the shock-absorbing body 30 is formed so as to extend from a central portion of the hindfoot area H in the foot width direction and a central portion of the midfoot area M in the foot width direction to the medial side. The shock-absorbing body 30 formed in a substantially O shape in the first embodiment is formed so as to have a substantially J shape by the above described opening 31 in the modified example.

Also, in the plate 20, with the opening 31, the exposed portion in which the lower surface is exposed in a position above the grounding surface is formed so as to extend from the central portion of the hindfoot area H in the foot width direction and the central portion of the midfoot area M in the foot width direction to the medial side. In the modified example of the first embodiment, the exposed portion of the plate 20 is formed so as to serve as the reinforced portion 24 the hardness of which has been increased.

With the sole structure 1 of the modified example of the first embodiment, similar working effects to the working effects of the first embodiment can be also achieved. Also, with the sole structure 1 of the modified example of the first embodiment, the plate 20 is easily bent in the midfoot area M of the shoe S. Accordingly, with the above described sole structure 1, the force of kicking the road surface of the shoe wearer during running can be further increased. The opening 31 of the shock-absorbing body 30 is formed larger than that of the first embodiment, and therefore, with the above described sole structure 1, a shock applied to the foot of the shoe wearer at the time of landing the ground can be further eased while weight reduction is achieved.

Second Embodiment

FIG. 13 to FIG. 15 illustrate a shoe S including the sole structure 1 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 13 to FIG. 15, the same reference characters as those described in the first embodiment are used to represent equivalent or corresponding portions to those in the first embodiment.

<Sole Structure>

As illustrated in FIG. 13 to FIG. 15, also in the second embodiment, the sole structure 1 includes the midsole 10, the plate 20, the shock-absorbing body 30, and the outsole 40. The midsole 10, the plate 20, the shock-absorbing body 30, and the outsole 40 are stacked in this order from top to bottom. Note that, in FIG. 13 to FIG. 15, hatching with dots is provided in order to illustrate the plate 20 with emphasis thereon.

[Midsole]

As illustrated in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, the midsole 10 is formed so as to extend from the front edge portion to the rear edge portion of the sole structure 1. The upper 2 is fixed to an upper surface of the midsole 10. Note that the material of the midsole 10 is the same as that in the first embodiment.

Also, in the second embodiment, the upper surface of the midsole 10 is formed in a curved shape along the sole surface of the foot of the shoe wearer and serves as a foot sole support surface 11 that supports the sole surface of the foot of the shoe wearer via the insole (not illustrated). On the other hand, in the second embodiment, a housing recessed portion in which the plate 20 is housed is not formed in the lower surface of the midsole 10.

[Plate]

Also, in the second embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 13 to FIG. 15, the plate 20 is formed so as to extend from the forefoot area F to the hindfoot area H of the shoe S in the longitudinal direction. Also, the plate 20 is formed so as to extend from the medial side edge portion to the lateral side edge portion of the midsole 10 in the foot width direction. Specifically, in the second embodiment, the plate 20 is formed so as to have an outer shape that is substantially equivalent to an outer shape of the lower surface of the midsole 10. The material of the plate 20 is the same as that in the first embodiment.

In the second embodiment, the plate 20 includes a plate body 26 that is curved in a substantially S shape which does not have a step from the front edge toward the rear edge and two rising portions 28 integrally formed with the plate body 26. The plate body 26 is formed so as to have a holeless thin plate-like shape that is thinner than the thickness of the outsole 40.

Each of the two rising portions 28 is formed of a thin plate piece that is raised from a corresponding one of both edge portions of the plate body 26 in the foot width direction and is upwardly bent. The two rising portions 28 are formed so as to extend from the midfoot area M to the hindfoot area H.

Also, raised portions 25c (protruding portions 25) that are downwardly raised are formed in both edge portions (the medial side edge portion and the lateral side edge portion) of the midfoot area M in the foot width direction. The two raised portions 25c are formed into linear protruding portions that extend in the longitudinal direction.

[Shock-Absorbing Body]

In the second embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 15, the shock-absorbing body 30 is provided only in the hindfoot area H. Also, the shock-absorbing body 30 is formed to have a horseshoe shape (a U shape) by an opening 33 that passes through in a vertical direction in a central portion in the foot width direction. The shock-absorbing body 30 is provided such that an outer edge portion provided so as to abut on the lower surface of the plate 20 in the hindfoot area H and having a large thickness wraps the rear end portion of the midsole 10. Note that the material of the shock-absorbing body 30 is the same as that in the first embodiment.

[Outsole]

As illustrated in FIG. 15, the outsole 40 is formed of two portions 44 and 45. A first portion 44 is provided so as to extend from the forefoot area F to the midfoot area M of the shoe S. A second portion 45 is provided in the hindfoot area H of the shoe S. Note that a material of the outsole is the same as that in the first embodiment.

The first portion 44 is provided such that an upper surface of the first portion 44 abuts on a lower surface of the plate body 26 of the plate 20. In the first portion 44, a notch portion 46 is formed in a central portion of the first portion 44 in the foot width direction so as to extend from a rear edge of the first portion 44 to a position near the central portion in the longitudinal direction. The first portion 44 is formed so as to have a substantially U shape by the notch portion 46.

On the other hand, the second portion 45 is provided such that an upper surface of the second portion 45 abuts on the lower surface of the shock-absorbing body 30. The second portion 45 is formed so as to have a horseshoe shape (a U shape) that corresponds to the shock-absorbing body 30.

—Detailed Arrangement Configuration—

As described above, also in second embodiment, the sole structure 1 is formed such that the midsole 10, the plate 20, the shock-absorbing body 30, and the outsole 40 are stacked in this order from top to bottom and the plate 20 (the plate body 26) formed in a substantially S shape extends from the position corresponding to the calcaneus HL of the foot of the shoe wearer at least to the position corresponding to the first interphalangeal joint J1 of the foot in the longitudinal direction. In the second embodiment, the plate 20 (the plate body 26) is provided so as to forwardly extend to a position corresponding to a front edge of the midsole 10.

Also in the second embodiment, the plate 20 (the plate body 26) formed so as to extend long in the longitudinal direction and have a substantially S shape in the above described manner is interposed between the lower surface of the midsole 10 and the upper surface of the outsole 40 (the first portion 44) in the forefoot area F of the shoe S and is interposed between the lower surface of the midsole 10 and the upper surface of the shock-absorbing body 30 in the hindfoot area H. Also, in the midfoot area M of the shoe S, at least a portion of the plate 20 (the plate body 26) is formed so as to serve as an exposed portion in which the lower surface is exposed in a position above the grounding surface. In the second embodiment, as described above, the shock-absorbing body 30 is formed only in the hindfoot area H. Therefore, in the first embodiment, in the midfoot area M of the shoe S, an entire portion of the plate 20 (the plate body 26) in which the first portion 44 of the outsole 40 is not stacked on the lower side serves as the exposed portion in which the lower surface is exposed in a position above the grounding surface.

Also in the second embodiment, as described above, the shock-absorbing body 30 is formed only in the hindfoot area H, and therefore, the plate 20 (the plate body 26) includes a band-shape exposed portion 27 (a portion between two double-dashed lines in FIG. 15) that extends from one edge to the other edge in the foot width direction in the midfoot area M of the shoe S and is formed so as to serve as the exposed portion in which the lower surface is exposed in a position above the grounding surface. As described above, in the second embodiment, with the midfoot area M of the shoe S, the plate 20 has the band-shape exposed portion 27 that floats from the road surface from one edge to the other edge in the foot width direction, and therefore, the plate 20 is formed so as to be more easily bent in the midfoot area M than the plate 20 of the first embodiment.

Also, in the sole structure 1 of the second embodiment, in the plate body 26 of the plate 20, the raised portions 25c (the protruding portions 25) formed of the linear protruding portions that are downwardly raised are formed in the both edge portions (the medial side edge portion and the lateral side edge portion) of the midfoot area M in the foot width direction. By the two raised portions 25c, in the plate 20, at least one protruding portion 25 that protrudes or is raised upwardly from the upper surface of downwardly from the lower surface is formed in the midfoot area M of the shoe S.

—Advantageous Effects of Second Embodiment—

As described above, also in the sole structure 1 of the second embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, the plate 20 which is made of an elastic material having a higher elastic modulus than that of the midsole 10, forwardly extends long from the position corresponding to the calcaneus HL of the foot of the shoe wearer at least to the position corresponding to the first interphalangeal joint J1 of the foot, and has a thin plate-like shape is provided between the midsole 10 and the outsole 40. The plate 20 is provided on the shock-absorbing body 30 away from the road surface in the hindfoot area H and is provided directly on the outsole 40 close to the road surface in the forefoot area F, and at least a portion of the plate 20 is formed so as to serve as the exposed portion in which the lower surface is exposed in a position above the grounding surface in the midfoot area M. By forming the above described configuration, even with the sole structure 1 of the second embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, the sole structure 1 that has stability of the sole of the foot and shock-absorbing performance at the time of landing the ground and also has a function of assisting a kicking operation can be provided.

Also, in the sole structure 1 of the second embodiment, at least one protruding portion 25 (one raised portion 25 c) that protrudes or is raised upwardly from the upper surface or downwardly from the lower surface is formed at least in the portion of the plate 20 located in the midfoot area M. Therefore, also in the second embodiment, the bending rigidity of the portion of the plate 20 located in the midfoot area M is increased and local bending of the plate 20 in the midfoot area M can be reduced.

Also, in the sole structure 1 of the second embodiment, at least one protruding portion 25 (one raised portion 25 c) is formed in the exposed portion of the plate 20 formed so as to be easily downwardly bent, thereby increasing bending rigidity of the exposed portion. With the above described configuration, excessive deformation in the exposed portion of the plate 20 can be reduced.

Also, in the sole structure 1 of the second embodiment, the protruding portion 25 (the raised portion 25) provided to increase the bending rigidity of the plate 20 is formed of a linear protruding portion that extends in the longitudinal direction. With the above described configuration, the bending rigidity of the plate 20 can be further increased.

Also, in the sole structure 1 of the second embodiment, the shock-absorbing body 30 that eases a shock applied to the foot of the shoe wearer at the time of landing the ground is provided only in the hindfoot area H. That is, in the above described sole structure 1, the shock-absorbing body 30 that inhibits downward bending is not provided in the midfoot area M. Accordingly, with the sole structure 1, the plate 20 is more easily bent in the midfoot area M and the force of kicking the road surface of the shoes wearer during running is further increased.

Also, in the sole structure 1 of the second embodiment, the plate 20 includes the band-shape exposed portion 27 that extends from one edge to the other edge in the foot width direction in the midfoot area M of the shoe S and is formed to serve as the exposed portion. Therefore, in sole structure 1, with the band-shape exposed portion 27, the plate 20 is easily bent in the midfoot area M. Accordingly, with the above described sole structure 1, the force of kicking the road surface of the shoes wearer during running can be further increased.

Also, in the sole structure 1 of the second embodiment, the opening 33 is formed in the central portion of the shock-absorbing body 30 provided in the hindfoot area H of the shoe in the foot width direction. The weight of the sole structure 1 can be reduced by forming the above described opening 33 in the shock-absorbing body 30. Also, by forming the above described opening 33 in the shock-absorbing body 30, the shock-absorbing body 30 is caused to be easily deformed at the time of landing the ground. That is, the cushioning property of the shock-absorbing body 30 is increased. Accordingly, with the sole structure 1, a shock applied to the foot of the shoe wearer at the time of landing the ground can be eased while weight reduction is achieved.

Also, in the shoe S including the sole structure 1 of the second embodiment, similar working effects to the above described working effects can be achieved.

Other Embodiments

In the above described embodiments and the modified examples, the plate 20 is formed so as to extend from the position corresponding to the calcaneus HL of the foot of the shoe wearer to a position in front of the position corresponding to the first interphalangeal joint J1 of the foot in the longitudinal direction. However, the plate 20 is not limited thereto, may be formed to extend from the position corresponding to the calcaneus HL of the foot of the shoe wearer to a position near the position corresponding to the first interphalangeal joint J1 of the foot in the longitudinal direction, and may be located behind the first interphalangeal joint J1 (in front of a center between the metatarsophalangeal joints MP and the first interphalangeal joint J1).

In the above described embodiments and the modified examples, the shock-absorbing body 30 is formed so as to have a substantially O shape, J shape, or U shape, but a shape of the shock-absorbing body 30 is not limited thereto.

As described above, the present disclosure is useful for a sole structure for a shoe and a shoe including the sole structure. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A sole structure for a shoe which includes a midsole which is made of a soft-elastic material and an upper surface of which serves as a foot sole support surface that supports a sole of a foot of a shoe wearer and an outsole which is made of an elastic material having a higher hardness than that of the midsole and a lower surface of which serves as a grounding surface, the sole structure comprising: a thin plate made of an elastic material having a higher elastic modulus than that of the midsole and stacked on a lower side of the midsole over the outsole; and a shock-absorbing body made of a soft-elastic material and stacked on an upper side of the outsole so as to abut on a lower surface of the plate at least in a hindfoot area of the shoe, wherein the plate extends from a position corresponding to calcaneus of the foot of the shoe wearer at least to a position corresponding to first interphalangeal joint of the foot in a longitudinal direction, is interposed between the midsole and the shock-absorbing body in the hindfoot area of the shoe, is interposed between the midsole and the outsole in a forefoot area of the shoe, and is formed such that at least a portion of the plate serves as an exposed portion in which a lower surface of the plate is exposed in a position above the grounding surface in a midfoot area of the shoe.
 2. The sole structure for a shoe of claim 1, wherein in the plate, at least one protruding portion that protrudes or is raised upwardly from an upper surface or downwardly from the lower surface is formed at least in the midfoot area of the shoe.
 3. The sole structure for a shoe of claim 2, wherein the at least one protruding portion is formed in the exposed portion of the plate.
 4. The sole structure for a shoe of claim 2, wherein the protruding portion is a linear protruding portion that extends in a longitudinal direction.
 5. The sole structure for a shoe of claim 1, wherein the shock-absorbing body is formed so as to extend from the hindfoot area to the midfoot area of the shoe, and an opening that passes through in a vertical direction is formed in the shock-absorbing body and the exposed portion of the plate is formed by the opening.
 6. The sole structure for a shoe of claim 1, wherein the shock-absorbing body is provided only in the hindfoot area.
 7. The sole structure for a shoe of claim 6, wherein an opening that passes through in the vertical direction is formed in a central portion of the shock-absorbing body in a foot width direction.
 8. A shoe comprising: the sole structure for a shoe of claim
 1. 9. A shoe comprising: the sole structure for a shoe of claim
 2. 10. A shoe comprising: the sole structure for a shoe of claim
 3. 11. A shoe comprising: the sole structure for a shoe of claim
 4. 12. A shoe comprising: the sole structure for a shoe of claim
 5. 13. A shoe comprising: the sole structure for a shoe of claim
 6. 14. A shoe comprising: the sole structure for a shoe of claim
 7. 